Grand Valley State University is considering expanding its downtown Grand Rapids health campus to accommodate demand. The Board of Trustees will vote Friday, Nov. 1, on purchasing nearly 11 acres for a price not to exceed $18.9 million.Grand Valley State University

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The growing demand from both students seeking health careers and employers looking for qualified professionals is driving a Friday, Nov. 1, vote of the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees on whether to buy nearly 11 acres for $18.9 million to expand its downtown health campus.

The four-block area on the city’s Northeast Side, bound by Hastings and Trowbridge streets and Clancy and College avenues on the north side of I-196, is adjacent to the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences and the Medical Mile corridor.

Although Grand Valley doesn’t plan to develop the property for at least five years, the land purchase continues the transformation of the area around Michigan Street in the decade since the university opened Cook-DeVos.

GVSU administrators say the market and the university’s desire to be a leader demand the move as the school is out of options to grow.

"This is transformational for our university, for our region and for the future of health care in Michigan," Grand Valley President Thomas Haas said. "This plan is part of our vision and long-term strategy as a key player in health education. We're obligated to anticipate and produce the health care providers our state needs for the future."

Gayle Davis, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said the university needs more laboratories and classrooms to accommodate additional enrollment. She said the College of Health Professions and the Kirkhof College of Nursing currently offer 12 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including two doctoral programs.

Davis said Grand Valley plans to expand its existing programs and provide additional health-related academic programs as the fast-moving professional areas develop.

"We are receiving literally hundreds, 200 or 300 students, in some of our programs who are fully qualified but we simply don't have enough space to admit them," Davis said at a Thursday press conference.

"We also have full knowledge that there are things we could offer that would really help the community's need for professionals in the workplace but we have no room to put them."

The money for the expansion will come from the Campus Development Fund and have no impact on tuition, Davis said.

The land acquisition would give GVSU a total of 18 acres, including the existing site and four acres purchased earlier.

GVSU leaders said the school is the region’s No. 1 provider of health care workers. Some 5,000 students are studying nursing and health related fields.

Davis said they plan to grow existing programs and add new ones. She said the new facility could accommodate 1,000 students with the programs on their radar and lead to hiring 20 to 30 more additional faculty and support staff.

Some of the new programming being considered are in the areas of respiratory care, dietetics, audiology, and public health, as well as a couple new certificates, Davis said.

University officials said the residences in the area are primarily rentals though there are more than a dozen owner-occupied houses.

Matt McLogan, vice president for university relations at GVSU, said tenants were being told Thursday that the university is in no rush to turnover the housing units.

“We want this neighborhood to remain stable and occupied until we are ready to move ahead with plans the university will be developing in the next couple years,” said McLogan, who said there are several companies in the rental property business in addition to many private landlords.

McLogan said administrators have not started planning what the building will look like. He said they think they’ve improved every neighborhood they’ve partnered with in Grand Rapids.

The Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet at noon. If approved, the project is at least five years away.

The planning makes sense, according to Katie Baker a 21-year-old junior nursing student.

"It is really hard to get into programs," Baker said. "I am really excited about the expansion. It is still going to be competitive but it will allow more people to get into programs."